Traverse City Record-Eagle

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June 3, 2010

Local speller still afloat in D.C.

BY LINDSAY VANHULLE lvanhulle@record-eagle.com

ELK RAPIDS — A Cherryland Middle School seventh-grader is waiting to learn if he will make the Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals in Washington, D.C.

Austin Wolfgram, 13, correctly spelled "chauvinism" and "clozapine" in preliminary rounds today, earning six points toward his score.

Half of the 50 words on a written test taken Wednesday will be added to each speller's score. Up to 50 spellers will make the semifinals, names of whom will be revealed at about 5:30 p.m. today.

Austin's word "clozapine" was streamed live on www.espn3.com. He did not ask for any assistance from the judges, including definition or language of origin, and quickly spelled the word.

The word is defined as a drug used to treat schizophrenia.

Results can be viewed at www.spellingbee.com.

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